Get To Know Canada’s Buffalo

October’s calendar photo of the month features a majestic female Buffalo standing on a sloped mountainside in the pouring rain. Captured in Waterton National Park in Alberta, this breathtaking photograph was taken by Paule Hjertaas.

American Bison are often found in open grasslands stretching across prairies and plains or in river valleys. In Canada, they can be found in parts of British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

What do they look like?

Bison are the largest of all mammals living in Canada and have a large shoulder hump covered in shaggy brown fur, a long brown mane on their head, neck, and shoulders, and short brown fur along their backside. They also have short, curved horns and hooves. Wood Bison males are larger than females, measuring from 1.67 to 1.82m in height and weighing between 350 to 1000 kg! Whereas the Plains Bison male has a height of 1.7 to 2.8 m, and weighs around 600 to 860 kg.

What is their nature?

American Bison (Bison bison)

By nature, Bison are social beings and often travel in large groups of 15-20 animals. During the migration season, many join other groups forming large herds. They are most active at night or at dusk. Females and males generally live separately in small groups and come together during the summer mating season.

What efforts have been made in Canada to conserve Bison?

Only two centuries ago, up to 30-60 million Buffalo roamed freely across North America from Mexico to northern Canada. By the late 19th century settlers drove them to the brink of extinction as a result of over-hunting and mass slaughters.

To help recover the Bison population, a law to protect the Wood Bison from hunting was first introduced in 1877. As well, the Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada’s largest national park, was established in 1922 to protect remaining the herds. It is home to one of the largest free-roaming and self-regulating Bison herds in the world!

Both Wood and Plains Bison subspecies were assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The Wood Bison is listed as Special Concern under COSEWIC and listed as Schedule 1, Threatened by SARA. The Plains Bison is listed as Threatened under COSEWIC.